Note: This chapter was a real pain to write. I had a lot of trouble finding what to say, and in the end, I guess I didn't lol. This is one of the shorter chapters I've ever written, but I do have another chapter that will hopefully be on the way soon. Enjoy.

"Okay, seriously though, the fuck is a 'Blake Emergency'?" Blake tucked her fingers between her neck and the fabric of her blouse.

"Something that's only a big deal to you," Weiss explained.

"I feel like I'm really good at establishing our priorities. Like, what's one emergency I've ever called that wasn't deserved?"

"Look, it was just a joke. Don't read too much into it."

"I will read too much into it, and this is why you are bad at comedy."

"At least I own more than one blouse."

"And yet they all fit terribly."

"Gals. Focus," Ruby said, her words as sharp as her summer dress. She was planning on changing for the Opening Ceremony, but plans had changed, and here she was now, dressed for an occasion she never thought she would experience. The four ladies of Team RWBY had been brought to the city hall, escorted by so many armed guards that Ruby felt like royalty. They were currently sitting in the lobby outside a very fancy set of doors, twiddling their thumbs in semi-formal dress as they waited for a meeting to conclude. It was rather rude of their host to not keep his schedule, but it was hard to complain about the President of Vale. The President of Vale. Ruby couldn't even process the thought correctly. She was about to meet the President of Vale…

Markus Pygmalion. Leader of the Companions Party. Currently midway through his third term. Leanings: socially conservative, economically pro-corporate. Established better alliances with Atlas and created deeper trade conflicts with Vacuo. Allegedly a follower of Decum Luna, though those were merely rumors. Popular in Vale despite of himself. He was sitting there, in the very next room, and he wanted to talk to them.

It was a testament to how far they had come. Even a year ago, she believed she would never become a Huntress. Now, her hands weren't even trembling at the thought of meeting such a power player. She had seen and bested better, after all. She was more nervous about what her teammates would do; well, one teammate. She hoped Blake would have enough tact to keep quiet, but that was a crapshoot. Hopefully, Ruby would do most of the talking.

But what would they be talking about? The invite was unclear, though she could make a few educated guesses. Something to do with a powerful cup and the unlikely circumstances of their entrance into Vytal. It wouldn't be a pleasant conversation, but they hadn't broken the law and their participation in Vytal was secure. Maybe he just wanted to hear their version of events. If so, she had a few complaints about their headmaster to share.

Team RWBY did not have to wait long. Soon, the door opened up, and a man left the mayoral office. He looked at Team RWBY with some mild surprise before carrying on. Someone else soon stepped out of the office and approached the Huntresses.

"The President will see you now."

Ruby looked at her teammates, checking their readiness. Weiss nodded firmly and straightened out her skirt. Yang casually shrugged and hopped up to their feet. Blake let out the deepest, heaviest sigh in the world, and followed them from behind. They entered the office.

The Mayor of Li Caccia had been deposed—for the evening at least. Vytal was ultimately Valian territory and a much more prominent politician had chosen to make his office a temporary home. The office wasn't anything special, not compared to the half-dozen fancy offices Ruby had seen before. The carpet was a nice shade of blue, she supposed. The only changes Ruby could immediately detect were the presence of two gigantic Valian flags placed on either side of the mayor's desk, and the three men in suits standing around the perimeter, on guard at all times. Ruby led her teammates into the center of the room, walking slowly toward the man sitting behind the desk. He didn't even seem to notice they arrived until he looked up and saw them two inches in front of his face.

The years hadn't been particularly kind to the rapidly approaching octogenarian. Once a passionate and eloquent speaker, he now moved slowly and spoke softly. His blonde hair had turned ash white and was now little more than whisps on his scalp. Yet, a legacy of economic success a decade ago had carried his political career forward, and even though most of the light had faded from his eyes, he was still able to charm the room on a good day. Ruby looked him up and down carefully. He was slightly hunched over, his blue suit jacket a bit too long for his torso. She thought she saw some confusion on his face, as if he had to remember where he recognized her from.

A year ago, she would have been charmed. Shellshocked. Demure. But she saw the truth clearly now.

Today was not his good day.

"Team RWBY," Pygmalion said calmly. "It's a… real pleasure to meet all of you."

He slowly, wobbly, rose to his feet, and walked carefully around the desk to the center of the room. He extended his hand to Ruby, and she shook it without grace. He did not mind or notice the single, white glove covering up her fingers.

"Mr. President. Thank you for inviting us," she said with a forced smile.

"Oh, it's my pleasure, my pleasure," he said warmly. He tapped the back of her hand, and walked to the others, shaking their hands in kind. "Miss, uh, Weiss. Miss Blake. Miss Yang. Welcome. Welcome. I hope your, um… stay in Li Caccia has been enjoyable so far."

"We had a chance to see some sights," Ruby explained. "Although this is certainly the most interesting thing we've done so far."

"Well, I'm very glad you are here," he said. "You know, we are all rooting for you in the Vytal Festival. It's a very big opportunity for girls such as yourself. Very, very big."

"We've worked very hard for it," Ruby nodded.

"It's actually…" He paused for a second too long. "I have a daughter. My daughter is a big fan of you. Which one of you… Oh, yes, Yang. Yang, she's a big fan of you and your, um, your gauntlets."

Yang nodded awkwardly. "Oh. Well, you can tell her that… I very much appreciate it." Their smile was more forced than Ruby's, and sensing they were uncomfortable, Ruby quickly changed the topic.

"Vale is the hosting party this year, correct?" she said, though she already knew the answer. "We hope we can bring another victory for our Kingdom."

"That's the expectation. Just don't try to feel too much pressure," Pygmalion nodded. "We have a lot of very good Huntsmen this year. Very good. I'm hearing it's really one of the best we ever had…"

Ruby nodded as Pygmalion continued rambling about the strength of Huntsmen for a solid five minutes. He spoke of the previous few winners—though he got the order of their victories wrong—and he discussed in grand terms how privileged he was to promote them afterward. He talked about his favorite Vytal match that he had ever seen, something from fifty years ago that Ruby wasn't even aware of. He talked about the importance of sponsorships and securing Dust, and gave some milquetoast battle advice that Ruby promptly ignored. And on and on he went, then about some Huntsman death that he saw on the news recently, and then again about his daughter and how she thought of becoming a Huntress at one point in her life, and then he spoke of the importance a good diet and made a crack about his old age in what could charitably be conceived as self-awareness. And each of his sentences was punctuated with a long pause and a few stumbles as he searched for his words, and Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang were just forced to stand there and take it. Blake's foot tapped rapidly against the floor, and Ruby could feel her teammate nearly ready to burst.

The moment Pygmalion sounded like he finished a thought, she sprang into action.

"Mr. President," she said carefully. "We were actually wondering why you called us here on such short notice. Is there anything we can help you with?"

She didn't mean to sound hasty, though Pygmalion took it as such. "Oh, I understand. You girls must be very busy. The Opening Ceremony is tonight and I have to get ready for my speech as well. We have the, um, speech prepared, correct? It's not the… no…" He turned to the bodyguards as if one of them would have the answer he was searching for. The four members of Team RWBY stood awkwardly around him as they waited for him to recover his thoughts.

"Mr. President?" Weiss asked.

"Oh yes, that was it," Pygmalion said quickly. "You are from Atlas, correct? It must have been a shock coming to Beacon Academy."

"Yes, it was," Weiss said unsurely. "But I adjusted quickly."

"Atlas Academy is… you know, the whole reason Ozpin wanted to partner with them was to help normalize our relationship with them. And people don't realize how important that is."

Weiss clenched her jaw. Did he have a point, or…

"And you've all done a wonderful job at that," Pygmalion said with a twinkle in his eye. "I think sending you to Atlas was a… a great success. And building bridges is what you girls do best. That's why I wanted to ask if you girls would be interested in a project of mine."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What kind of project?"

Pygmalion smiled. For the first time, he seemed to shine with genuine enthusiasm. "I think a lot of politics is old and fussy. There are way too many bureaucrats and regulations in our government that are holding us back. A lot of them, I feel, aren't really loyal to our goals as a Kingdom. I want to clean everything up and get some fresh perspectives. And you girls have a fantastic perspective on things, I think."

They needed a second to process what he was saying. Weiss put her thoughts into words first. "Are you offering us… a job?"

"Well, it won't be official until you finish your Huntress training," Pygmalion explained. "But I want Huntsmen to play a bigger role in our government. They are tough and fearless, and they understand our Kingdom's values better than anyone else. Huntresses like you who have such a great hold of public opinion can have a tremendous role in our administration. Think about the possibilities. You could act as diplomats to the other Kingdoms, or serve in an advisory role to any piece of legislation we pass… I think some of you could even make great representatives someday. Wouldn't that be something? Working together, we could accomplish so much that I'm not able to do now."

It wasn't lost on Ruby that his stutter had mostly disappeared. It wasn't malicious; for the first time, she could see life returning to the old man. For once, she could see the remnants of the man he used to be, and she understood his appeal. Her teammates looked to her for advice, but she placed her thumb to her chin and thought carefully about his proposal.

She didn't like Markus Pygmalion. Many of his politics were unhelpful at best and destructive at worst. But she had never really given much thought to what she would do once Vytal was finished. She always assumed she would continue to serve as a Huntress, but politics? Her? No. Never.

Well… actually…

Okay, theoretically, it wouldn't be a bad thing. What were her fights with Ozpin if not politics? She could gain a greater amount of influence that celebrity couldn't afford. People would be forced to listen to her, instead of trying to find a way to abuse her. And it would definitely keep her family safe…

But Pygmalion as an ally? No. That couldn't happen. He was allied with Ozpin. He stood against so much of what she stood for.

But wasn't that a great reason to get on the inside? Friends close, enemies closer, as the expression went? She could use her influence against him.

But no, too much power was corrupting. And she didn't want power for power's sake anyway.

But the good she could do… the legislation she could pass to really improve people's lives…

Except she wouldn't be in charge of any of it. Pygmalion was trying to use her, same as Ironwood did so long ago. He would call the shots. She would be emboldening his power. She wasn't stupid. It was a trick. An insanely obvious trick.

Except she had a few tricks of her own…

Except there were too many risks…

Except there was no point in rushing to judgment anyway since it was three years away.

Except that was an excuse.

Except…

But…

Except…

"No thanks. We're good."

Ruby snapped to attention. Blake had crossed her arms over her chest, and she didn't bother smoothing any of her words. They struck Pygmalion like daggers.

"No?"

"No."

"But what about—"

"No. We refuse," Blake said bluntly. She ignored the looks she received from her teammates, and explained herself as honestly as she could without being vulgar. "Look, we're flattered you would consider that, but we don't want to work in politics. Huntsmen shouldn't be working in politics period. In fact, the further away Huntsmen get from political influence, the better."

"I think you are dismissing this far too quickly. Think of the possibilities," Pygmalion said. "Wouldn't you like to really make a difference in the world?"

Ruby opened her mouth, but Blake cut her off. "We make plenty of a difference already. We don't need anyone's blessing. Plus, our fans like us because they think we are genuine. They know what we represent. Doing a big political grift would basically destroy all of the reputation we've earned." She turned to her teammates, nodding aggressively. "Right?"

Yang nodded immediately back, grateful that Blake was able to find a way to turn the President down efficiently. Weiss paused for a moment but quickly agreed with the others. The President gave her a similar vibe as her father, and honestly, that was not anything she wanted to be associated with. But Ruby was the most quiet. Yes, Blake raised good points. A lot of them. If this were Ironwood or Ozpin or any of the other headmasters making this offer, she would have turned them down in a heartbeat. But this wasn't the headmasters, and the opportunity he was giving them was broad. This was their future, past the fighting, past the Grail, past anything to do with this terrifying tournament. Couldn't they at least…

Well…

But…

No… no, Blake was right. It wouldn't make anything better. Ruby sighed, straightening out her posture.

Really, what was she thinking…

"We are grateful for the offer," Ruby said. "But at this time, we politely decline."

Pygmalion seemed taken aback from being told off so directly, but he tried to play off his bruised ego. "Oh, no, I get it. You must all be Regalians. You probably have something worked out with them instead. I don't mind. They beat me to the punch."

"Actually, I kind of hate both of Vale's political parties," Blake said with a bitter smirk. "One is a group of feckless liberals too afraid or incompetent to get anything done, and the others are a bunch of wannabe fascists who seem to get off on everyone's suffering. Woe is to be a progressive in the Age of Color."

"Well, um, you are young. And young people often don't know what they want," Pygmalion stuttered.

"I know literally everything I want."

Pygmalion coughed. Whatever light was once there had faded again. "Well, I will let you consider it. I… I think we should probably take the photograph together, and then I'll let you be on your way." He turned back to the bodyguards. "Can one of you get the photographer?"

One of the suited men hurriedly walked over to the door and poked his head out, speaking with someone on the other side. It was almost impressive how antsy he became. They were a bit surprised he didn't just kick them out immediately. Blake crossed her arms. "I don't think we need a photo together…"

Pygmalion opened his mouth to protest, but Ruby did it on his behalf. "Blake… chill." She smiled at the President. "We would be more than happy to take a photo together."

The President smiled at her. Ruby smiled back. She really would have made an excellent diplomat.

The bodyguard re-entered the room in record time, an official photographer close behind. Pygmalion ushered them toward him, and the four Huntress students crowded around him in front of the mayor's desk—Blake standing on the furthest edge. They stood shoulder to shoulder, and the President flashed his trademark peace sign with his fingers. One camera flash later, and the deed was done.

"You should really get going," Pygmalion stated. "I wouldn't want you to miss the ceremony."

Ruby bowed slightly. "Thank you once again for hosting us. We will see you tonight. Come on, team."

The President waved goodbye and then returned to his spot behind his desk. Ruby left the room quickly, her friends in tow. The door was closed tight behind them, and two men in suits escorted them out of the building. They remained quiet, carefully looking out for prying eyes, until they were out on the streets once again. The crowds had started to thin and the sky had turned a murky orange. The Opening Ceremony was going to begin soon. It gave them some space. Once the bodyguards turned around and left them alone, they were allowed to talk.

"Well… that was entirely pointless," Yang sighed.

"Literally a giant waste of time," Blake said, frustrated. "The man just wanted an ego boost. Pathetic."

"He's a politician. He's merely playing the same game everyone else is," Weiss said. The words almost came out defensively, and though she was merely trying to be polite, Blake sneered at her.

"The guy was senile. Like, that was bad. Oh, except the one moment when he was trying to recruit us. I can't believe you were ever a fan of him."

"I… used to like his policies, not his personality," Weiss sighed. "That's changed a lot."

"We can totally imagine you in politics though, Weiss," Yang claimed. "Like, you in a fancy suit, writing some legislation, cutting deals. It suits you."

"Yeah," Blake agreed. "Taking bribes, being super corrupt, being a dick… fits you like a glove."

"Hey, Blake, I finally realized what a Blake Emergency is. It's when I'm kicking your ass so badly that you can't breathe."

"Oooh cutting. Only took you twenty minutes to think of that one."

"Hey, did you think it was weird at all that he never mentioned the Grail?" Yang asked. "Like, the tournament is in three days and he doesn't seem concerned about something that can destroy the world?"

Ruby answered the question. "Because he doesn't know about it."

The others looked at her with surprise.

"You think Ozpin is keeping him in the dark?" said Yang.

"Wouldn't you?" Ruby replied. "Let's face it: Pygmalion is a figurehead. Ozpin holds all the actual power, and he isn't keen on sharing it with someone he can't fully trust. After what I just saw, I wouldn't trust him with any secrets either."

It was a bitter truth that none rejected. For whatever power his title granted him, the President of Vale was a non-entity. He would stand at the podium tonight and give his speech and people would cheer, and then he could be safely forgotten about. Hell, he was probably trying to recruit them because he didn't have any real power; who else would those politicians he hated be loyal to except the man who outlived them all by generations? One less power player to manipulate, they supposed.

Yet, it also revealed the depths of Ozpin's power. He overshadowed the President of Vale, and with the Grail in his possession, he could become stronger still. For all the reasons Ruby had to reject the President's offer, none was so crucial that the world as they knew it could come to an end if they didn't win the Vytal Festival. Thinking too far beyond the next ten days was pointless.

Ruby bowed her head and pushed the President's words out of her mind forever. She had a job to do. They all did.

The Opening Ceremony was about to begin. They needed to take their place.